Releasing device for car-curtains.



F. C. GOW &: S. T. GLUTTER.

RELEASING DEVICE FOR GAR CURTAINS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1912.

1,065,236, Patented June 17,1913.

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RELEASING DEVICE FOR GAR CURTAINS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.16, 1912.

1,065,236, Patentd June 17, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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FRANK C. GOW AND SAMUEL T. CLUT'I ER, OF MONETT, MISSOURI.

RELEASING DEVICE FOR CAR-CURTAINS.

To all w/wm 7'25 army concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK G. Grow and SAMUEL T. CLUTTER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at. Monett, in the county of Barry and Stateof Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in ReleasingDevices for Car-Curtains, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to releasing devices for vestibule car curtains,and more particularly to the class of automatically releasablehand-holds for curtains in use in vestibule cars.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter, in which the curtain, when drawn across the juncture betweenthe ends of cars, will be automatically released on the separation ofthe cars, thereby preventing the tearing of the curtain, or the damagingof the same.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hand-held for acurtain used in vestibule cars, so that when the curtain is fastened instretched condition, and should he cars uncouple or become separated,the curtain will be automatically released for the freeing of the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable andefiicient in operation, and inexpen sive in manufacture.

lvith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, illus trated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of thevestibule portions of railway cars, showing the curtain and holdertherefor constructed in accordance with the invention applied thereto.Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the curtain,vestibule post, and hand-hold. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sideelevation of the curtain and the hand-hold. Fig. 1 is a side elevationof the clamping knuckle in the hand-hold. Fig. 5 is a sectional view onthe line 22 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 5 and 6 designate the endportions of two Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 16, 1912.

Patented June 17, 19.13.

Serial No. 677,992.

railway vestibule cars, respectively, each car rying a bellows 7, theabutting faces of which contact with each other when the cars arecoupled together, the bellows being of the ordinary well -knownconstruction. kdapted to guard the side gaps between the vestibules 8 ofthe end portions of the cars are curtains, each comprising a flexiblebody 9, the same being connected to and adapted to wind on and unwindfrom a curtain roller 10, the latter being journaled in suitablebrackets, interiorly of the vestibule post 11, which is provided with asuitable slot 12, through which is passed the body -9 of the curtain,the opposite longitudinal free edge of the curtain being provided with acasement 13, in which is held a curtain pole or reinforcing bar 14-, towhich is connected a hand hold, presently described. 7

The hand-hold comprises a semi-cylindrical body 15, adapted to receivethe curtain pole or bar 1 1, and is formed at opposite ends withright-angular spaced parallel outwardly projecting ears 16 and 17,respectively, to the latter of which is connected a trip handle 18, thesame being pivoted thereto at 19, and is adapted to have its free endnormally locked between a stationary jaw 20 formed on the car 16 and aswinging knuckle 21 carried thereby, the knuckle being pivoted, at22,.in a recess 23 formed in said car 16, and is formed with a lockingnose 2% adapted to be engaged by a locking device, presently described.

The ear 16 is provided with a swinging clamp 25 which is designed toretain the curtain pole or bar 14: engaged in the body 15 of thehand-hold, the latter being formed with an extension 26, and likewisethe ears 16 and 17 are formed with similar eXten sions, through whichare passed bolt members 27, the same being also passed through thecurtain body9, thereby securely fastening the hand-hold upon the same.

Mounted in the ear 16 is an automatically releasable locking device,comprising a slide bolt 28, the latter working within a suitablegnideway 29 formed in the ear 16, and formed at its inner end with alocking head 30, while its opposite end is provided with an eye 31, inwhich is engaged a pull chain 32, the same being trained over aguidepulley journaled in a bracket 3% fixed to the post 11 and connected atits opposite end with a stationary anchoring member fixed to the saidpost 11 in one vestibule, while mounted upon the vestibule post 11 inthe vestibule oi the other car is a knob 36, with which engages thehandle 18 of the hand held, when the curtain is drawn, as shown in Fig.l of the drawings.

The chain 82 is provided with a stop 87 which engages the pulley 33 tolimit the stretching of the chain, so that upon the uncoupling of thecars and the separation of the end portions 5 and 6, the chain willdisengage the sliding bolt member 28 from the nose 2-} of the knuckle21., thereby permitting it to be swung outwardly, on the handle 18 beingpulled upon. Thus the said handle will swing to open position, therebyfreeing the curtain, so as to prevent the tearing or damaging thereof,when the cars are being separated. It is evident that the curtains willbe automatically released on the separation. of the car ends, withoutrequiring the manual releasing oi the curtains.

Of course, it is understood that the chain 32, in lieu of being fastenedto the member may be trained exteriorly off the car, so that said chainmay be manually pulled upon for the releasing of the curtain from theoutside of the car, when the car ends are uncoupled.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a curtain adapted to bemounted on one end of a car, of a pole fastened in one end of saidcurtain, a hand-hold comprising a semi-cylindrical body receiving thesaid pole and having outwardly projecting ears, a trip handle pivoted inone of said ears, swinging clamps pivoted to the body and engageablewith the pole for detachably mounting said body upon the curtain, a j awpivoted to the other car for normally engaging the trip handle andhaving a laterally extending nose, a sliding bolt mounted in said bodyand normally engaging said nose, and flexible means engaged with saidbolt and adapted to be connected with the end of such car whereby on theseparation of the end of another car the bolt will be retracted fordisengaging the nose of the aw to tree the trip handle.

2. The combination with a curtain adapted to be mounted on one end of acar, of a pole fastened in one end of said curtain, a hand-holdcomprising a semicylindrical. body receiving the said pole and havingoutwardly projecting cars, a trip handle pivoted in one of said ears,swinging clamps pivoted to the body and engageable with the pole fordetachably mounting said body upon the curtain, a jaw pivoted to theother ear for normally engaging the trip handle and having a laterallyextending nose, a sliding bolt mounted in said body and normallyengaging said nose, flexible means engaged with said bolt and adapted tobe connected wit-h the end of such car whereby on the separation of theend of another car the bolt will be retracted for disengaging the noseof the jaw to free the trip handle, and a stationary keeper fixed to theend of said adjacent car and engageable with the trip handle when inlocked position.

In testimony whereof we a'lliX our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

F. C. G )W. S. T. ClJU'l ER. Witnesses H. V. TODISMAN, J 01m T. BURGESS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

